Hairy snail fossil found in amber

Scientists have identified a new species of snail encased in a piece of amber. They estimate the amber to be about 99 million years old. Named Archaeocyclotus brevivillosus by international researchers, the new species is a land snail from the Mesozoic period (252 to 66 million years ago). Experts found the snail in an amber mine in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar in 2017. This is the eighth species of land snail found in Myanmar Mesozoic amber. It’s one of six of those species that had hairy shells. The snail is about an inch long. Its outer shell has very short bristly hairs, which scientists believe were a sign of the creature’s evolution (the development of an animal or plant slowly over time). The hair would have allowed the…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 137

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